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“Now I Know” Video Contest Invites People to Share Struggles, Successes with Epilepsy

11/01/2012

LANDOVER, MD (November 1, 2012) – As Epilepsy Awareness Month kicks off, the Epilepsy Foundation today announced the launch of its first-ever video contest campaign. Themed "Now I Know," the campaign asks the epilepsy community to share their experiences with epilepsy, provide advice and educate others about the condition.

"Epilepsy can be a challenging condition without easy answers, especially when someone is first diagnosed," explains Philip M. Gattone, President and CEO of the Epilepsy Foundation and the father of a child with epilepsy. "This is an opportunity for people who have learned from their experiences of living with epilepsy to share messages of encouragement and hope. 'Now I Know' will be a fun contest for participants, but much more importantly, it will help people who are facing epilepsy for the first time get practical advice and know where to turn, especially to our affiliate network, for help and support."

People with epilepsy and their friends, family or caregivers can log on to Facebook.com/EpilepsyFoundationOfAmerica to submit a short video that answers the question: When it comes to epilepsy, what do you know now that you wish you knew sooner?

Visitors to the Epilepsy Foundation Facebook page will have the opportunity to vote for their favorites and share the videos through their social networks. The videos with the most votes within four geographic regions at the end of the contest will win one of four iPads, among other prizes. Videos will also be featured online and at the Foundation's National Walk for Epilepsy in Washington, D.C.

"When we first found out our son, Jake, had epilepsy, we were scared and felt very isolated and alone. We did not know where to turn to find the important support and comfort in talking to other parents who had been through the same challenges we were undergoing," said Greg Grunberg, star of the TV programs "Heroes," "Alias" and "Felicity." "Epilepsy is a tricky thing, nobody seems to go through the exact same experience with the condition. We quickly learned that even if you talk to folks or watch a video and pull even one little bit of knowledge or nugget of wisdom from someone else's experience it does wonders for not feeling so alone. I think the videos that come out of 'Now I Know' will be incredibly helpful and meaningful to so many people in the epilepsy community."

Grunberg, who shared his own video to help introduce the campaign, added, "It's so important for people with epilepsy to talk about it, to help educate and raise awareness and this is a fun, creative way to do just that. It's the same reason I started TalkAboutIt.org."

The contest starts today, the first day of Epilepsy Awareness Month, and runs through December 31, 2012. Voting will open on January 1, 2013. Winners will be announced in February 2013 on the Epilepsy Foundation of America's website. For more information and official rules, visit www.epilepsyfoundation.org.

About the Epilepsy Foundation
The Epilepsy Foundation, a national nonprofit with affiliated organizations throughout the United States, has led the fight against epilepsy since 1968. The Foundation's mission is to stop seizures, find cures and overcome the challenges created by epilepsy. For additional information, please visit www.epilepsyfoundation.org.